On February 23, I had the privilege of having lunch with Greg Mortenson, co-author of Three Cups of Tea: One's Man's Mission to Promote Peace  . . . Once School at a Time. I am a member of City's Advisory Commission on International Relationships (ACIR), and we were one of the partners to bring Greg Mortenson to Great Falls to speak. As part of the day, we organized a small lunch with our members. In listening to Mr. Mortenson speak, I could hear the passion of helping people in Afganistan and around the world. One of the items he spoke about struck me a bit more than other things he said. In a discussion on culture, and he noted in the schools his group has established the elders come in a couple times a week to teach the students about their heritage, folklore, and history. It made me realize Mr. Mortenson understands the students culture and how important it is to pass on to another generation. Listening him to him talk at lunch, just made me more excited to attend his lecture this evening.

The MSU - Great Falls General Scholarship Application deadline is February 27. Please encourage students to pick up an application today at the Financial Aid Office or on-line at http://www.msugf.edu/finaid/Scholarships.asp. There are many generous awards students from a variety of backgrounds and interests are eligible for, therefore please share this message with any and all students. 
 
It is important to note this General Scholarship Application qualifies students for awards that range from those aimed at specific academic programs to those designated for types of students like single parents or those from rural areas of the state. Truly, there is a scholarship for nearly everyone. Once again, the deadline is February 27.  Please encourage students to apply today.  

Thanks to all who assisted in making the Dental Social such a success. We will look forward to having more high school students attend next year. I know the pre-dental students I talked with enjoyed the social and you could sense the excitement they were feeling when talking to existing students and actually realize being in the Dental Assisting or Dental Hygiene program can be a reality.  Great retention for students experiencing the challenge of taking those difficult prerequisites.
 
Thanks you especially to Lanni, Natalie, Melanie, Pam, and Judy for helping make this happen and to all who chipped in (no pun intended) to supply the chips and cookies to supplement the funds for the snacks and drinks. A special thank you to Linda for the formulation of the door prizes and the beautiful set up and decorations.
Like Melanie said, it was great to hear from a student, "Thank you, it was the best social I have ever attended."

Student art from across the city is on display throughout campus. Grayce Holzheimer, Art Faculty, will announce the date and time of a reception for these talented students shortly.